Favorite Spot on the Citadel
by ilego
Summary: Connection Series: Even Before his Death, John was never into Birthdays. Than again, for the first time in his life, he wasn't sure what he wanted anymore. All he knew now, was that a certain quarian had to be there, standing next to him.


**Poster Notes:** **Under 6 C of Terms of Use, I believe I am allowed to publish this until/unless Admin Says otherwise**

 **Disclaimer: I do not Own Mass Effect it Is Property of Bioware and EA. I did not Create this Fanfic, that credit goes to darkdanny, Nevertheless it is in the public Domain. (never Copyrighted)**

Despite common, popular misconception laid down by his crew (notably Garrus Vakarian) John Shepard wasn't _that_ big of a publicity whore.

Oh yes... he could have been if he really tried to. He could be endorsing stores and products and living like a king off the money he'd make off the royalties. Being a Spectre, as it turned out, was damn near close to being a celebrity that literally could get away with murder. He generally kept away from the media and the fame being offered, but it was getting harder and harder to do.

This was especially the case when the ladies edition of Fornax got photos of him from years ago, Stuck on leave in Brazil with his old unit just prior to Torfan. One of them, Ramirez decided on an impromptu game of volleyball. Diego that homo, it all made sense why he wanted to have his unit strip down to their shorts and reenact that a scene from that old fighter jock movie. Where the hell someone found the time to photograph grinning like a maniac after he just served the ball was beyond his comprehension.

The writer of the piece on him announced his death was actually a lie, meant as cover so he could go undercover and stop the batarians wherever they were brewing some trouble. A lie confirmed by the Council who felt it best that an active duty Spectre should not been seen with Cerberus ties.

With all that written the magazine proclaimed him Sexiest Man of the Year. A fact that Garrus brought to his crews attention. Everyone had a field day with this newest honor. Miranda relished that she was clearly responsible. Project Lazarus head and all and rest had their usual good nature banter. Even Samara, who had no shame in admitting that had she been a few hundred years younger, she might have being vying for his attention.

Tali... Tali couldn't look him in the eyes. Not without losing it and breaking down into a fit of laughter. It wasn't often a quarian girl managed to steal the sexiest man in the galaxy from everyone. He had expected her to get jealous, but she didn't seem to mind.

"Look." She said to him "I'm not going to get jealous over another woman's thoughts. If she starts to tear off your clothing off your body, which I now own, I'll react. Besides, I've seen you dance. It's not charming like they think."

Plus she figured, she was kind of hoping he would take the underwear modelling gig the asari designer, Hallerax offered him. She figured it would help her when those less than pure thoughts returned back to her. For a woman who was the face of self restraint, she could really have some dirty thoughts...

Speaking of Tali. Everyone was in quite a shock when he came into the med-bay, Tali leaning against him as she coughed like she was spitting up her lungs. She came up with the excuse that she had forgotten to lock a suit seal when she was doing some inspections that morning. Everyone seemed to buy the story.

Everyone except for the gossipers and those who had stumbled across the growing and mostly quiet relationship between Tali and him. Joker made his assumption. Kasumi actually _squealed_ when she found Shepard dragging Tali to the med-bay. Mordin took an unusual interest in her condition, all the while shooting the Spectre knowing looks. Miranda went red in the face -Especially when Tali muttered something about a dirty operative putting her in this state so low that only Miranda and John could hear.

As for Tali, she had spent most of the past few days heavily sedated and mostly asleep while Doctor Solus and Chakwas could work on keeping her fever down the best they could Shepard saw to it to make at least three visits a day while she remained down. He was, after all, mostly guilty for it. A fact that Chakwas knew the moment she saw all those lovebites planted on her skin during her examination. Had Karin had have her way, her Commanding Officer would be strung up by his balls for defiling that innocent girl.

 _Innocent girl..._ Tali was the one who started this in the first place. He was seduced by a non-human's alien feminine wiles. What was he going to do? Say no? Tell her to cover that perfect body back up in an environmental suit? What kind of man would he be if he didn't take what was offered, tasting that flesh, that sweet, hardened flesh that tasted like sugar... Jesus, it tasted much too good for her own good...

"Knock, knock Commander."

Shepard shook his dirty thoughts away and looked up, standing in the doorway was Yeoman Kelly Chambers. In her hands were two steaming mugs of Coffee. He could swear that girl was psychic. He smiled at her as he tugged on his boots and stood up, almost marching towards her.

"Morning, Kelly. You're a lifesaver." Shepard greeted the bubbly redhead. Kelly returned the smile and held out his coffee. Black, one scoop of sugar. Good girl. He sipped on the hot drink, not paying mind to just how closely she was watching him.

"Good Morning, Commander. Happy Birthday." Kelly announced. Before Shepard realized it, Kelly leaned in and pressed her rosy lips against his unshaven cheek.

"Was that necessary?" He pointedly ask, wiping the lipstick off his cheek.

Kelly smiled even wider and nodded very coyly.

"It was either that or birthday bumps." Kelly countered as she too sipped her drink as she followed him to the elevator. "The last thing I want to do is wreck my back trying to lift a man three times heavier than I. "

Shepard chuckled as he finished his cup and set it down. Chambers however collected it. She was apparently a bit of a neat freak.

"Does anyone know?" Kelly spoke again. Shepard could only shrug.

"As far as I know, no." Shepard returned as she watched him tug a jacket over his shoulders. "Doesn't really matter, I'm not the celebrating type. Besides. I forgot. 30? Or 31?"

Kelly thought about it for awhile.

"Technically I imagine you'd be around 31 by now..." She trailed off. "but I imagine one doesn't age when they're clinically dead for two years."

That was kinda grim to think about. Death stopped him from aging. Fuck it, Shepard silently figured. Thirty it was.

"Let see...Joker... Garrus... definitely Karin would know." Kelly listed off. "Not that I'm secretly planning a celebration or anything."

She paused and seemed to gaze at him.

"What about Tali?" Kelly tacked on, biting her lip as she watched him freeze in place. "I'm more than certain that woman knows every little detail about you. Right down to the girlfriends you had in high school."

Shepard squinted at her. It didn't seem far from the truth. Tali really didn't do things half assed.

"Don't see why she needs to know that." He mumbled casually.

Kelly's eyebrow arched.  
 **  
**"I don't know about that, Commander." Kelly said, attempting to bury that stupid knowing look she could get. "Heard that quarians are extremely possessive of people they're interested in. One of the few things they can call solely their own."

Shepard crossed his arms defiantly. Oh yes, he had heard that rumor as well. Hours of extranet research into quarians had left him with really nothing more then rumors and hearsay. He had read about how they were a romantic species, how they were completely devoted to monogamy and disliked any mention of relationships in the past. How they would kill romantic rivals to gain favor with their new mate.

All these theories sounded like a whole lot of masturbation material written by virgins with xeno fetishes to him. Quarians, as far as he knew, were no more different than humans, only they were stuck with an unfortunate dextro connection to the turians.

"I don't recall Tali and I being in a relationship to begin with." Shepard lied right through his teeth. His eyes never blinking as he stared into Kelly's. Kelly merely crossed her arms, unimpressed by the Spectre's refusal to even consider admitting anything.

"Scuttlebutt says otherwise."

Shepard snorted. _Scuttlebutt_.  
 **  
**"Scuttlebutt also is pairing Miranda with Garrus, Zaeed with Samara and EDI with Joker." Shepard pointed out. "I don't know which pairing is the most mortifying."

Kelly giggled slightly, finding how absurd those rumors had been as well.

"Fair enough. but even you have to admit that the rumors about Tali and you are much cuter." She finally conceded as followed Shepard back out of his room and into the elevator. Getting no confirmation from the stoic man, she added "So any plans today?"

"Told you I wasn't celebrating." He grunted back as he ran his hand through his short hair quite vainly.  
 **  
**"I know that tough guy. I mean going down to the Citadel, doing reports with Miranda." She listed off. She paused and added. "Sitting at Tali's bedside holding her hand as you whisper sweet words of encouragement so you can have a second chance at her out of her suit."

Thankfully for him, his poker face held. Instead of admitting that Kelly had a point, he merely shrugged.

"Visited Tali last night, She's asleep." He told the noisy Yeoman. "I'm heading down to the Citadel. Do some shopping or something."

Kelly nodded approvingly.

"A good idea." She returned. "Tali could use a pick me up gift when she's up. Since you're so in tune with Tali's sleeping schedule and all... Which is clearly what best friends do... right?"

John surprised Kelly by a sudden laugh and a grin.

"You're not going to give up, are you?"

Kelly shook her head, defiant like a child.

"Not until you two are together publicly... _Haappy Birthday, Shepard_." Kelly crooned as though she was a lounge singer. Shepard rolled his eyes. Surprising Chambers yet again, he leaned in and gave her swift kiss on the cheek.

"Thanks Kelly." He finally admitted. Without another word he left Kelly alone in the elevator. He didn't notice the Yeoman touching her cheek as though it had been a shock.

"You still smell like quarian!" He heard her call out to him.

Shepard ducked his head as he left her company. All he could do was smirk.

 **...**

 **...**

John never really appreciated the quiet solitude of the presidium until now. It left him alone, isolated in a good sense of the word. Stubbing a cigarette out on the bench idly, he leaned back.

For the first time in a long while, He found himself at a crossroad. What in the fuck was he going to do?

His eyes followed the couple that was wandering in front of his line of sight. They were parents with their child. the mother clutching the hand of the small girl. He wondered if they understood how much horror was in store for them, how precious every moment they had together was between now and when the Reapers arrived to tear their lives apart. He wondered if they would survive, he wondered how they could smile when their deaths were all but a certainty in a mater of months, years if they were lucky.

John wondered if they realized just how much he envied what they had.

He was so tired of this. The constant turmoil, briefly interrupted briefly by his sudden death. That was all his life, the moment he turned 17. Taking orders and enduring horrors that made it difficult to sleep at night. Before his death he could handle it. He could suppress everything that came up.

But that was then. Now... Now he had nothing left in him. He was running on fumes, and this was over fighting the goddamn Collectors, pawns, simple bloody pawns to the Reapers. What the fuck was he going to do about the Reapers? He talked a big game, sure, but what in the fuck could he do other than boost the morale of people who seemed to think he actually knew what he was doing.

He was thirty years old. Christ, he would be lucky to see his thirty first.

The little girl, looking bored by shopping her parents had been making her endure looked back, her small brown eyes meeting his. He smiled slightly and nodded politely. The child smiled shyly as well. The parents moved again, dragging the child along.

Shepard exhaled and fell back into his thoughts again.

Would he ever have that? A family of his own?

Not just a drug addled father with some serious PTSD issues, a distant Alliance mother and a sister who had refused to speak to him since he was nineteen. But a family that featured a wife and kids, pets, all the things he took for granted as a young man. But... he did not think himself likely to have kids of his own.

Not when so far... he could only see his future involving a quarian in it.

The war may have brought about his fatigue, yes. But this new... thing with Tali was the first thing in his life that actually made him think about what his future could be like. After the war, After the reapers.

He could do anything he wanted but every possible combination of dreams always involved Tali standing next to him. He never had this feeling before in his life, Someone he knew would always stand by him with an unwavering loyalty from the moment they met all those years ago.

John rubbed the bridge of his nose as he decided then and there that this wasn't just some feeling. It was love. The definition of love. It wasn't some high school romance from his past, or a moment of desperation as it had been with a certain asari. This was a feeling he never felt before in his life, a feeling that he suppressed or ignored if it came bubbling back up through his barriers, designed to defend him from basic human emotions the moment training begun under his first mentor.

Whatever that woman did to him had undermined years of discipline

With feelings for Tali'Zorah now officially out of his control. The real question was how she would react when he eventually spilled how he felt for the woman. He wondered if this would last. Hell, for all he knew, This could have been her own fling before returning to the fleet again. Karmic retribution for everything he did in his life.

Shepard blinked. Jesus, he was insecure. Wasn't he suppose to be some feared Spectre?

Standing back up, John sighed as he stretched his muscles out that were cramping up. He knew how he felt, he knew what he wanted now. It was only a matter of time until he learned if proposing marriage to a quarian would work. Maybe not now... maybe not for years... but at least he knew what he wanted.

A life with her.

 **...**

 **...**

"So than Shepard just got up in the face of Udina and said... _Nobody stabs me in the back, Udina. Nobody!_ I heard Udina nearly pissed himself. Oh to hear that first hand..."

Tali's eyes opened from the dreamless state being disturbed by a long and wild squealing of giggles. What is the hell was that? Tali softly groaned and rolled over, pain shooting through everything, her chest, her stomach, her back. Life seriously was terrible for the quarian. She almost regretted stripping out of her environmental suit to let that damn Shepard have his way with her.

Keyword being _almost_.

There now in her line of sight was Doctor Karin Chakwas, being led by that bubbly redhead, Kelly Chambers. The doctor staggered and gripping onto the doorway for support. Kelly helped as well, her hands guiding the good doctor inside.

"That must have been a very trying time." She head Kelly whisper.

"It was..." Chakwas answered lowly. "Lieutenant Alenko... Kaidan had just died. Shepard had to send that poor young man to his death. It hurt you know? He was such a friendly boy. Polite, intelligent. He was a good friend to the Commander when he had few men he could rely on. Shepard became a bloody zombie for a week..."

Chakwas burst into tears, sobbing in a way Tali could never imagine from the usually very composed woman. Lieutenant Alenko... His death was a real blow to the Normandy's morale. He was a very polite man. A little absorbed in his own issues with his Biotic implants, but nice. Tali did not spend much time getting to know him. She wish she had, though.

"Oh Kelly. I _hate_ this career sometimes." The doctor blubbered out between her sobs. Chambers shushed the doctor, her voice soothing the drunk tears spilled by the still mourning older woman.

"Here, lay down. Let's have a nap, okay?"

A slum on the bed and mumbling to herself in untranslated English was All Tali could make out. It didn't take long before Karin Chakwas was out for a nap. Snoring filled the room. Satisfied that she was down, Kelly turned to face the groggy quarian.

"Hey Tali." Kelly Chambers spoke to her, plopping down on the seat next to where she laid.

Tali eyed the woman suspiciously. Currently Kelly was in a lot of trouble for revealing very private information to her captain about the way she felt for him. Something about her body language, about how she spoke of John. Now,with the feelings may have been out in the open and the right words spoken to one another. That did not mean Kelly spilling her secrets to the man that was her secret fantasy was going to fly.

So, just like Liara, Ashley, Garrus and Joker before her. Kelly Chambers was officially in Tali's shit list.

"Making her relive the old days?" Tali returned, much more sarcastic than was necessary.

Kelly shrugged, she looked rather guilty, as though she knew what she had done was less than nice. She pushed her chair closer to Tali's bed, ignoring the glare the quarian held on her.

"I spiked her coffee with a little Irish whiskey. She's a real lightweight." Kelly admitted, biting her lip. "Besides, I needed to see to you without her watching."

The hard gaze dropped slightly. Tali tilted her head confused.

"What's the matter?"

Kelly leaned back, her leg crossing together. The slightest of smirks slipping across her lips.

"Nothing serious, really. It's just Shepard. It's only his birthday and he's all alone on the Citadel. Nothing to get too worried about."

Tali blanched in unspoken horror.

His birthday? Tali's eyes widened at the realization. She had completely forgotten about it! This wasn't good. She could feel the guilt grow heavy in her heart. Shepard, on the first Normandy had made such a huge deal out of her own birthday. Presents and even exotic asari made treats that she could safely consume. The presents were mostly military related. A Viper VIII combat shotgun, a Savant IX omni-tool and a shield modification device. His reasoning was sound. He didn't want her dead because she was using antiquated technology on the battlefield.

Nobody had a clue just how flattered she was of his concerns.

"Oh keelah, his birthday. I can't believe I forgot it." She moaned aloud. She could feel Kelly's hand fall onto her forearm, patting it sympathetically.

"You have a reasonable excuse, Tali." Kelly reminded, gesturing to the med-bay. "Listen, He's not the type to get excited over birthdays. Still, I think that a very good friend of his could break out of this med-bay for a few hours, find him down in the wards of the Citadel and wish him a Happy Birthday."

Kelly smiled faintly at the engineer. Almost knowingly.

"I bet he'd like _that_." She tacked on.

Tali crossed her arms.

"Yes, right after he punishes me for escaping the med-bay when I'm suppose to be recovering." She grumbled. Bitter that she was being confined to this room instead of riding the illness out while she worked on the engines, went on any hypothetical missions or... in his company, resting in that wonderful bed of his.

Kelly suddenly cracked a grin.

"Oh I bet you'd just like him giving you a little spanking." She shot back, grinning as she watched Tali screech at the sudden embarrassing _remark_.

"Oh _relax_." She laughed. "You're well on your way to recovery. Your suit is all sealed up and you had to get back on your feet as a part of recovery. Why not do it by wishing your _best friend_ a happy birthday."

Tali really didn't like the way Kelly uttered _best friend_. She would ignore it however as she sniffed the horrible mucus almost escaping her nose.

"Even if I want to... which I do..." She admitted softly, regretfully. "I'm in no shape to track him down."

Kelly's eyes widened slightly at the admission. She still waved off the reminder as though it was nothing.

"But EDI and I are."

 _Miss Chambers is correct. I am following Commander Shepard's Omni-Tool. It is currently relaying from the Citadel wards. There was a Nightclub there once, Chora's Den._

Tali sat up, clutching her stomach as she wheezed and sniffled once again. John was at Chora's Den? He shot that place up in order to save her life. Perhaps...oh keelah... he wasn't going there, was he? Where they first met? Silently she forced the heat rising to her skin to calm down.

"I know the place, EDI." Tali managed to speak neutrally. "Kelly... I wouldn't say no to another injection of painkillers."

Kelly nodded and smiled as she wandered to find the quarian some dextro pain suppressors. Shepard may not have wanted a celebration or gifts for his day, but she just knew that not even the most stoic of Spectre's would say no to a lovesick quarian holding his hand and looking up at him with those beautiful bright eyes.

 **...**

 **...**

Shepard took a drink from his tall glass of straight Vodka. He couldn't believe it was still there

There was still a stain on the wall. The exact same stain left by a turian after he pumped a Shotgun round into a turian goons chest. He remember that young quarian shocked and splattered with bits of turian blood, cartilage and shattered armor. She was in shock at how fast it all happened. Held up by goons claiming to work for the Shadow Broker,

He wasn't quite sure what he was doing here. He was at the reopened Chora's Den and he suddenly found himself outside of he club. He was only harassed by the police once from drinking in public, until they realized who they were speaking to. After an autograph or two he back to wandering a familiar path to an alley that was rarely used. It was where he met her, wounded, frightened after being chased across the galaxy by Saren for finding information proving his guilt.

That poor girl, all she wanted was a normal pilgrimage. What she ended up with was him. He wasn't sure if that was a good thing. Death was a common side effect to being close to him.

"Can I help you?"

Shepard turned back. Stan ding there was a small improvised shop stand behind him, behind the counter was a small nervous quarian girl, no older than Tali had been when they first met. There was a shop here now? Well things certainly had changed. He glanced around, pretending to take a look.

"Oh um..." Was all he got out. He finished his drink and set it down on her counter, he was somewhat tipsy now.

"You're not interested." The girl finished for him ignoring the glass, her voice dulled. "No problem."

Shepard quirked his lips. Though he hadn't planned to shop today, that wasn't the answer he had in mind. He didn't think he ever would run into a quarian so pessimistic before

"You'll have to forgive me, Miss. I haven't been to this part of the Citadel in over two years." Shepard returned as stepped closer to the kiosk, adding. "Did you just open this place?"

The quarian nodded, her gesture appeared rather jaded with what she was doing.

"Yeah took a lot of bureaucratic junk just to even get a consideration, let alone a business license, but I just opened."

Shepard nodded, impressed by her motivation, even if she wasn't as thrilled. He hadn't ever seen a quarian hold a job on the citadel that didn't involve E.V.A work or down in the docks. He gave a quick once over at the shop that was modest in size.

"So is this a second hand shop then?" He guessed delicately. He did not want to offend her.

The quarian laughed humorlessly at the observation.

"More along the lines of a bits and pieces shop, really." She corrected the curious human, "I can't afford to have a theme just yet. Maybe one day.. if people start buying things."

Shepard nodded yet again and glanced around the selection. There wasn't much in the way of merchandise. She was right, calling it a second hand shop was a massive overstatement. There was quite literally nothing here to choose from. Nothing a Council Spectre could use at least.

Then he saw them. His eyes glazed over at the glorious sight.

 _Model ships._

Oh god, this place just got a helluvalot better.

Without words, he bent over onto his knees and carefully examined each and everyone of them. None of them caught his interest really, either he owned it or it was stupid. Not until he found himself staring at a ship he once stood in not too long ago. Now why would they make a model of that ship?

"Anything you like?"

Shepard looked up, collecting the box from off the bottom shelf. He held it out to the quarian, who nodded and set it down on the counter. She eyed him carefully, as though she dd not think him the type to be interested in something as nerdy as model ships. A habit that clashed horribly with his Reaper killer image.

"Shopping for a friend, she's kinda sick." He quickly lied. Blaming the quarian girlfriend had always worked for him. "Noticed you had the model of the Rayya. It was her childhood ship..."

The shopkeeper tilted her helmet, surprised by his admission.

" _The Rayya_ , your friend is quarian then?"

Shepard nodded, smiling slightly.

"Yeah. She's on her adult ship now but we rarely head back to the fleet." Shepard explained, watching the quarian nod in sympathy. "She doesn't like to admit it, but I think she misses her people. So I'll take it."

"That's very thoughtful of you. It's rare for generosity to be giving to quarians." She complimented as she scanned the box. "That'll be 300 credits."

She paused, and looked as though she seemed to be debating the price herself before he could pay her.

"I- I could give you a discount if that's too much." She blurted out suddenly. Shepard raised his brow and shook his head. He did not answer as he raised his Omni-Tool to make a transaction. The shopkeeper smiled and slid the model over the counter and into his arms. Shepard nodded politely and gathered in up.

He turned to leave, he was not quick enough to escape the gasp of the quarian behind him.

"You... You're the Commander Shepard?" She called out, causing the man to freeze in place. "I mean... you should come back. I... I think you made a mistake. I said three hundred credits... Not thirty thousand..."

Shepard smiled slightly and turned back. The quarian stood there, her eyes wide as she stared at him. He knew this look now. It was a mixture of fear and awe that he could never quite get use to.

"Huh... fingers must of slipped. Clumsy me. All this damn fingers." Shepard mused as stepped back to the quarian, gesturing to his hand. "Too late to fix it now... I guess it could to stocking these shelves with some more interesting things. Right?"

The quarian stared at the transaction. Slowly, very shyly, she simply nodded. Shepard nodded too and turned to leave. He didn't need thanks. It was the right thing to do for a person who needed helping hand.

Before he could leave, he paused and chuckled to himself. He remembered his musings about his future. His thoughts of Tali becoming something much more than just a girlfriend, or whatever it was quarians called dating. He sighed, and turned back, rejoining the quarian's company. She looked up, surprised that he was back... again. Shepard cleared his throat. He really wish he knew how to ask the question without sounding like a xenophillic creep.

"Say. I know this sounds random and forgive me if you're offended by the concept. But... you see... I'm kinda dating this girl... the quarian I mentioned earlier..." He explained, ignoring how wide her eyes went. "I don't want to get too ahead of myself, but... I _like_ her... a lot..."

He trailed off, rubbed his neck and groaned, embarrassed to admit this to a total stranger.

"Anyways, Its to the point where I'm contemplating _marriage_... of all things" He went on, muttering to the woman as though Tali broke the ordered he issued her last night and was standing behind him. His paranoia go the better of him. He looked over his shoulder. No one was there. He turned back.

"Which is strange as hell because this whole relationship has only been a thing for at least a week." He admitted lowly to the shopkeeper he had yet to ask her name. "It's just...with things being the way they are..."

Shepard paused himself before admitting his fear of the Reapers to a civilian and drew a breath.

"Anyways... is there any, you know... ritual or custom for asking her?" John tacked on, smiling sheepishly at the staring shopkeeper. "humans its just a question and an answer most of the time... But, she's real proud of her heritage, so do I need to do something or say something special for her?"

The quarian looked rather faint at the questions being asked by Spectre.

"Oh... oh wow, I did not expect that." The quarian nervously wrapped her fingers together. "Yes, there is a tradition of the _Raqtkam_ – Its a dowry by human standards. It's not a predetermined price by by spouses of the betrothed. It was more of an offering to the woman made by the man to show that he could take care of her for the rest of their lives."

She shrugged and laughed slightly to herself.

"Silly, somewhat archaic ways, yes." She admitted to the human. "It's rarely used on the fleet. It was even rare when we still had the homeworld."

She paused and seemed to smile under her mask.

"But... if there is one way to make a quarian feel like a princess, Performing the old rite would be it. Though, I don't know the specific wordings, or if a human could speak them. You might need to speak to someone more versed in quarian rituals."

Shepard nodded thankfully. At least he got the bare basics.. _Raqtkam_ : Sounded like a human sacrificial ritual. Ignoring the urge to ask her if he needed to shed the blood of a virgin for the rite to be complete, he nodded. John took a mental note: Make Joker the best man/virgin sacrifice, just in case.

He looked back up to the quarian who stared at him like he was a freak for even contemplating a marriage rite with another quarian.

"So umm... is there any biological considerations I should worry about should I marry her?" " He questioned, grinning slightly. "Like if we were married and one of us died in the war. Would the other go suicidally insane? Is there jealousy I need to worry about?"

The quarian lost her cool gaze and giggled at the remark, her head shaking as though she had heard the question before.

"Jealousy happens regardless of species." She pointed out. "But the suicidal rampage? No. That's just pulp fiction written by aliens who want to view us as some sort of great mystery."

She rolled her eyes, almost disgusted by the assumptions made by ill informed aliens.

"Still, It is odd to imagine a quarian who has a home on the fleet would be willing to... you know... leave it for an alien..." She trailed off, her posture looking guilty as she quickly added. "Oh Keelah, I do not mean to offend."

Shepard held up his hand. The last thing he wanted was her to freak out of this. Especially when she was right to feel that.

"No I don't mind you saying it." He allowed, "I ask that question everyday. At any time could could get called back. But she's an adult and this is new. So its all up to her.."

"You, the great Commander Shepard are worried I'll be _recalled_?"

The voice was gravelly, clearly ill, yet it was a familiar one. It was Tali, she stood there, hunched over slightly, breathing hard. Still her eyes shined as though nothing had been wrong with her to begin with. Shepard smiled slightly and gestured for the woman to join them.

"Found you a model of the Rayya." Shepard greeted, showing the ship off to the curious and sick quarian.

Tali accepted the box and took a careful glance at the picture on it, she seemed to be inspecting the ship carefully. Finally, She looked up and carefully pressed it into Shepard's chest for safe keeping.

"You liar. I'm not the one with a model ship fascination. But thank you for the thought." Tali returned. Her voice groaning as she stepped weakly towards the shop. "I'm sure it will be quite safe with the rest of your armada. You could rig them with engines and explosives and send them out to stop the reapers."

Shepard snorted.

"Like hell I am, anyone fucks with my models, there's going to be hell to pay." He promised. Tali shook her head at the display of bravado.

Shepard turned and noticed the two of them being stared at by the shopkeeper. She was staring wide eyed , specifically at Tali, as though she had noticed how ill she was and put all the pieces together. There was a sudden inhale that Caught Tali's unfocused attention. The shopkeeper was clutching her chest as she stared widely in the direction of Tali.

"Tali'Zorah vas Normandy?" She breathed, almost star struck, "It's me! Galina'Voar nar Neema!"

Tali tilted her head and blinked.

"I-I ...we met. _Remember_?" The quarian named Galina continued, disheartened by the lack of response. "You helped brief us on our pilgrimage. You were teaching us how to handle...well... humans?"

Galina looked over to John, as though worried she had offended the human. Shepard huffed a laugh and turned to Tali, his eyebrow arched, his arms crossed as he stared at the suddenly nervous looking engineer.

"You were a teacher? Those poor kids. Now I've heard it all." He teased her mercilessly.

Tali glared at him as though she planned on stabbing him with her boot knife.

"Oh. Yes." Tali spoke up finally, her voice enthused as she found herself at the mercy of a human and a starstruck quarian girl. "Galina'Voar, how have you been fairing on your journey? I'm sorry. I'm a bit under the weather."

"You're using human's idiom's now as well? Should have expected it. Since she's the resident human expert and all." John tacked on, smirking as Tali glared once more at him.

"I'm doing very well thanks to your advice, Tali." Galina gushed as though she was a schoolgirl. "Plus I stumbled onto some good luck. A turian woman here is a quarian rights lawyer. She helped me get this shop running. It's not much, all I could afford." She admitted smiling, "But its a start. It came at a discount too."

Shepard glanced around.

"Probably because I killed four men here."

Galina blinked, Tali however weakly laughed.

" _You killed them?_ " She repeated unconvinced. "I distinctly recall a krogan and a turian helping you."

Shepard shrugged and tried to hide the boasting.

"Yeah, but I'm the only one who mattered. _Right_?"

His attempt at modesty clearly failed. Tali however, did not seem to mind it. She leaned into him, not at all concerned of the presence of the shocked pilgrim quarian.

" _Mmmh_." She murmured as seductively as a quarian as sick as her could be.

Galina watched silently as the two of them seemed to forget that she was here. She watched as their hands linked and played with each other, despite how vastly different and how awkward it looked to her. They didn't need to scream their feelings to anyone. All they had to do was be in the same room. It was... adorable.

The pilgrim quarian cleared her throat, breaking their gaze.

"I'll let you have your privacy. I need to close anyway." She announced, feeling guilty for even being in their company. Tali nodded, but Shepard spoke up.

"Hey, before you go, I could... you know, give you an endorsement..." He said, ignoring Tali's surprised expression as he looked on Galina. "Dunno if it'll help bring in customers.. but it'll be worth a try, right?"

Again, the girl looked faint.

"You would?" She gasped. "Oh I would be so honored if you could!"

Tali looked ready to shower the Commander with praise, but before she could, Galina activated the camera function on her Omni-Tool and smiled expectantly. Giving Tali subtle squeeze, John stepped forward into the recorder's view.

"Hi, I'm Commander Shepard and this is my favorite store on the Citadel," He announced. He paused and gave Tali a half a second of focus before adding. "At my favorite spot on the Citadel."

Galina all but squealed as he closed the terminal. She flung herself at easily one of the most popular men in the galaxy. His endorsement pretty much insured that she would not go hungry once the word got out that Commander Shepard, the Hero of the Citadel endorsed her store and only her store alone.

"Oh, Thank you! Thank you! _Thank you_!" The girl squealed again bouncing back and forth, shaking the human in her arms. Shepard did his best not to notice the eyes burning into the back of his head.

He glanced back and found Tali still behind him, her arms crossed as she silently watched the two of them. Galina looked up from the human's shoulder and noticed the posture in her fellow quarian. She let go of Shepard and took a step back. Suddenly looking very bashful from her reaction.

"Sorry." Galina nervously laughed.

Tali shook her head in an act of forgiveness that caught Shepard off guard.

"It's fine, he's very nice to hang off when he's in a good mood." She informed the girl. Galina nodded and stepped backwards.

"I'm going to go, see if Miss Acterax will invest into making commercials." Galina spoke up to the two of them. She turned to John and added. "Thank you again... and... good luck... with everything."

Shepard nodded silently, doing his best not to notice Tali's interest.

With a wave, the quarian departed, leaving the couple behind. As Galina left, Shepard turned to face Tali, his back leaning against the counter of the kiosk. Tali stepped forward, her head tilted as she carefully watched him. She did not seem upset of Galina's affection. She appeared to be much more concerned about him. He smiled confidently. Something Tali immediately didn't buy. Her hand reached up and grazed against his cheek.

"So... you're worried about me being recalled?" Tali spoke up finally, her eyes searching his very slowly.

Shepard again nodded, almost ashamed at his seemingly petty concern.

"All the time." He admitted, his voice growing grim. "They have the power to do it... and I know you. You'd put them first. Which is the right thing to do... even if I don't like that personally."

Tali took his hand, squeezing with that quarian grip Shepard did not think possible because of how few digits she possessed. She stepped closer still, her breathing still sounding like a wheeze.

The Normandy is my home, _Captain_." Tali reminded the concerned man softly. "I consider it apart of the fleet. A ship infested by Cerberus agents." She conceded, "but a part of the fleet nonetheless."

Tali kept her eyes held on the human, her body swaying back and forth. She was clearly not in a good state. Shepard smiled slightly and tried to pull her along, back to the safety of the Normandy's Med-Bay. Tali however, refused to budge another inch. She stood there. Her body language screaming that she needed him to understand.

"You are my Captain, Shepard." She pressed on, her free hand touching against his heart. "You have complete control over my life. Something I'm _quite_ happy to endure." She added almost sultry. Chuckling slightly, she added. "If I am ever called back to the fleet by the admirals, you can _always_ count on me returning to your side as soon as I can."

Weakly, Tali bumped the mouthpiece of her helmet against his cheek.

"I don't want to leave your side." The quarian admitted rather shyly to him. " _Never again_."

Suddenly, the woman started to laugh at him. John eyed her suspicious, what in the hell was she doing laughing at him for? He was being serious! These were actual worries! Worries that were rarely revealed to anyone or anything but a glass of whiskey and a cigarette.

"You know I did not think you were _such_ a big romantic sap." Tali finally spoke up, a smile in her tone.

Shepard tried his best not to laugh.

"Quiet." He choked out.

"You're worried about what the admirals may do with _me_?" Tali continued, the humor in her voice growing. "I thought you weren't afraid of politicians."

John grunted yet again.

" _Quiet_." He repeated, still fighting off the blush coming to his face.

Tali's arm reached out and nudged his chest. He could barely see the grin beneath her tinted faceplate. What happened between last night and now? Did Garrus teach her to tease him? If that was the case, then that turian was going to be disbarred from shore leave and demoted to Mess Sargent Gardener's assistant.

"Come on now, mister ' _Sexiest Man of the Year.'_ Mister _'First Human Spectre.'_ " Tali prodded, still using her body as a gentle battering ram. "Is my teasing really that bothersome? I should have expected it. Especially when this quarian grease monkey can make a big bad Spectre like you stutter and blush."

 _"Be quiet!"_

Tali laughed at loud, well, more like she wheezed as she watched her captain's face turn purple from her teasing. What she hadn't expected were strong arms reaching out and grabbing her. Tali was pulled right off the ground and in Shepard's arms. She fought, screeched and hissed in protest, but she was no match to him. Shepard chuckled as he listened to the futile protests.

The laughter and fighting broke down quickly as Tali stopped thrashing and instead stared up at the human looming over her. Slowly her long thin arms wrapped around his neck. Together they stood there in the middle of the alley that they first met in. Shepard smiled slightly, thinking about his future and all the thoughts of this quarian involved in it. He did not have the heart to tell her that if he had his way, this would be how he planned on carrying her into the home they would have, whether it was on Earth or Rannoch. On the Citadel or in his quarters back on the Normandy during the thick of the conflict with the Reapers.

In this moment, staring into Tali's eyes, bright but gently staring up at him with a wonder he never had giving to him by anyone, he decided that he would marry this woman as soon as she would let him.

Shepard abruptly chuckled. Tali tilted her head.

"You know... I don't think your people are going to like me too much when they find out about us.." He spoke to her confusion, smiling somewhat worried.

Tali could only shrug.

"Of course they won't like you. Keelah, even I barely like you. You're just lucky you're easy on my eyes."

Shepard groaned as Tali giggled and again pushed herself out of his grip. Tali stepped back to the floor but did not move far from him. Her arm reached out and wrapped around his waist.

"Man...You get really lippy when you're sick." He observed with a sharklike grin. He paused, raised his brow as he added. "You know... we should go back to the Rayya sometime soon, you can show me how the great Tali'Zorah came to be. Could fool around in your old room. Might be fun."

Tali's eyes narrowed at him, as though she was mortified by the remark.

"Ignoring the fact that a new family has moved into it by now, you fantasizing about a younger me is kind of disturbing." She huffed, her free hand slapping against his chest. John leaned in and kissed the side of her mask.

"No more disturbing than you being asexual until you met me." Shepard countered. "I didn't think killing a turian and a couple salarians was such a turn on."

Again they stood in silence for a long quiet moment. Finally Tali sighed, raised her omni-tool and touched the interface.

Tali's mask suddenly lit up from the inside. Small built in LCD lights erupted from inside mask shining just bright enough to uncover the tint that shielded Tali's face from the world. As the layer of privacy melted away for him. Shepard gazed on Tali's face for a second time in the past week. She was smiling brightly at his surprised expression.

"Doctor Chakwas put me into isolation a few nights ago, apparently. I don't remember much of the past few days." She explained, her smile going lopsided. "Doctor Solus took my mask and installed the lights -For better interaction between us he said... I never thought of him as a romantic type."

John's eyes burned into Tali's for once, he could watch this woman heat up with a blush he ever got to appreciate before. Mordin, he decided, was never ever going to run out of funding for his experimentation while he was on the Normandy.

"Happy Birthday, John." She finally spoke through her sniffling.

He watched her head push forward behind the glass, thin lips seemed to be pressed against the glass. John half smiled and he too leaned in. His lips touched against the glass where her lips rested. They met, only stopped by a damnable inch of plateglass.

John pulled back and noticed Tali, her expression was one of desperation, she wanted so much more than what he could give her. She was clearly mad at this situation she once again found herself in. His hands reached up, grabbing each of her sides. Quietly his head pressed against her helmet.

"Thank you, Tali." He welcomed, smiling just for her. "Come on, let's get you back to the Normandy before Doctor Chakwas has an aneurysm."

Tali nodded reluctantly. With the side of her mask buried into his side and their hands latched together, they wandered out of the alleyway they first found each other, and back into the uncertainty the future held for them.


End file.
